All hands on deck

As PRRD, concerned agencies lead rescue and recovery efforts in Typhoon hit communities while Bong Go assures victims of continuous support and aid

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go joined President Rodrigo Duterte in an aerial inspection of the hardest-hit areas in Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Islands and Southern Leyte on Saturday, December 18, to survey the extent of the destruction caused by Typhoon Odette.

Go and the President flew from Metro Manila and passed over Siargao Island before landing in Surigao City. After surveying the damage at the airport, they conducted an aerial inspection of the Dinagat Islands before proceeding to Maasin City in Southern Leyte where they extended aid and met with leaders to discuss rescue and recovery efforts. Upon returning to Surigao City, they distributed relief and met with key national and local officials.

In a message of solidarity with the victims, Go assured that the Duterte Administration would provide all forms of assistance needed by communities to bolster their recovery. He then thanked all government officials, first responders and volunteers who are doing their best to respond to the disaster and save lives.

“Asahan po ninyo na gagawin namin ang lahat ng aming makakaya upang makabangon kayo muli mula sa pagsubok na ito. Hindi kayo pababayaan ng gobyerno ninyo na palaging nagmamalasakit sa inyo. Magbayanihan po tayo,” appealed Go.

“Sisikapin natin na maibalik sa lalong madaling panahon ang supply ng kuryente, komunikasyon at tubig sa mga apektadong lugar. Patuloy ang rescue and recovery operations at ang pagbibigay ng pagkain, tubig at iba pang relief sa mga nasalanta. Buong gobyerno nandito para tumulong at gampanan ang kanilang tungkulin,” he reassured.

During the situational briefing in Maasin City, President Duterte pledged to release P1 billion in calamity funds to the affected local government units and another P1 billion to the concerned government agencies, saying the government is aiming for the “earliest return to normalcy”. He directed officials to make sure funds are available for the procurement of food, medicines and other essential needs.

To assist in the immediate recovery and rehabilitation of the affected areas, the President specifically ordered the Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, Department of Social Welfare and Development, National Housing Authority, and Office of Civil Defense to expedite the delivery of assistance to areas in greatest need.

The DPWH was instructed to clear all roads and provide the needed equipment to the LGUs while the DSWD was called to ensure the continuous distribution of relief goods. The Department of Health was also ordered to send additional medical supplies and augment the health personnel in the Dinagat Islands.

On the other hand, the DOE was tasked to expedite the return of electricity and the Department of Information and Communications Technology to augment mobile cell sites and provided satellite phones or other modes of communication in the affected areas.

Finally, the NHA was called upon to assist displaced families, in coordination with DHSUD. The DA was also tasked to provide boats and seedlings to affected farmers and fisherfolk.

In addition, the President specifically directed concerned departments to assess the extent of damage and address the concerns of the LGUs. Social Welfare Secretary Joselito Bautista, meanwhile, was assigned to act as the crisis manager for the Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands. Office of Civil Defense administrator Ricardo Jalad will assist him.

Moreover, the Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard were requested to send ships to support the delivery of much-needed supplies, equipment and food to Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands. The Maritime Industry Authority was tasked to assess the condition of the ships and assist in the carriage of relief goods.

Meanwhile, the BRP Ang Pangulo will also be deployed to serve as a floating hospital to the said provinces since existing hospitals have been damaged.

Senator Go, as Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, warned that the typhoon could exacerbate the spread of COVID-19 and other diseases as evacuees are forced to stay in crowded temporary shelters. He urged authorities to ensure the strict implementation of the health and safety protocols and provide the necessary medicines, health and hygiene supplies at every evacuation center.

“Bagamat ginagawa natin ang lahat upang mailigtas ang mga tao mula sa panganib na dulot ng bagyo, iwasan rin natin ang pagkalat ng COVID-19 at iba pang sakit sa mga sinisilungan nilang evacuation centers,” said Go.

Consistent with his earlier pronouncements, Go reaffirmed his commitment to push for the creation of the Department of Disaster Resilience to ensure a quicker, more proactive and holistic government response to calamities and other natural disasters.

He renewed his call for the passage of Senate Bill No. 205, a measure he filed in 2019, which provides for the establishment of a highly specialized agency that will be tasked with ensuring communities are disaster-resilient, safe and adaptive. The department will focus on three key result areas, namely: (1) disaster risk reduction, (2) disaster preparedness and response, and (3) recovery and building forward better.

“Ilang kalamidad at sakuna pa ba ang kailangan para maintindihan na kailangan na nating aksyunan ito upang mas palakasin pa ang mekanismong mayroon tayo ngayon,” stressed Go.

The senator likewise called on his fellow lawmakers to act on SBN 1228 which seeks to establish a mandatory evacuation center in every province, city and municipality. Filed in 2019 by Go, the bill provides a set of minimum requirements for each evacuation center, such as its accessibility, amenities and operation and management.

“Magbayanihan at magmalasakit tayo sa ating kapwa. Kung anuman ang maitutulong natin ay gawin na natin sa abot ng ating makakaya. Sino nga ba naman ang magtutulungan kundi tayo lang po kapwa natin Pilipino,” he ended.

Go and President Duterte are expected to conduct further inspections in Bohol and Cebu on December 19.

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Siargao opens new Sports and Tourism Complex

As Bong Go expresses optimism in the recovery of the country’s tourism sector

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go joined President Rodrigo Duterte and other key officials as the President led the inauguration of the Siargao Island Sports and Tourism Complex and other big-ticket projects in Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte on Saturday, November 7. 

Citing Siargao Island’s reputation as one of the most famous tourist destinations in the country, Go said that the opening of the PhP630.2M Siargao Island Sports and Tourism Complex will greatly boost the island’s tourism sector and the country’s economy recovery.

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Established in the town of Dapa, the Siargao Island Sports and Tourism Complex can accommodate a total of 1,632 persons with its first-class facilities and amenities. It can also hold various national and international sports and tourism events. 

The 6.3-hectare complex, which was started in 2015, is also equipped with basketball, volleyball and badminton courts, a dormitory for student-athletes, rubberized athletic oval, soccer field, swimming pool, the two-storey, six-classroom Siargao Sports High School, and a convention center. 

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The senator then echoed the President’s appeal to the local governments in Siargao Island to take care and preserve the natural beauty of the island to ensure that next generations of Filipinos will also get to enjoy it in the future.

Go, as the Chair of Senate Committee on Sports, also mentioned that the said complex also aims to inspire young athletes to hone their athletic talents and skills. 

“Masaya ako sa pagbubukas ng Siargao Sports and Tourism Complex dahil ito po ay isa sa maraming proyekto ng Duterte Administration na makakatulong sa ating ekonomiya at pag-unlad ng bansa,” Go expressed. 

“Ito rin ay magbibigay daan sa ating mga atleta upang maipakita ang kanilang angking galing sa iba’t-ibang uri ng sports,” he added. 

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As part of his pledge to continue the positive changes initiated by the Duterte Administration, the vice presidential aspirant also cited that the pursuing infrastructure development will boost the economic recovery of the country to eventually provide a comfortable and sustainable life for those in the countryside.

“I am also confident na marami ang mabibigyan ng trabaho dahil sa pagbubukas ng SISTC. Magbubukas ito ng maraming oportunidad para sa mga nasa isla at buong rehiyon,” Go said. 

“Kinakailangan lang po natin na panatiliin ang mga nasimulang magagandang adhikain ni Pangulong Duterte sa mga susunod na administrasyon upang magtuloy-tuloy ang magagandang pagbabago para sa ating mga kababayan kahit saang sulok man sila ng bansa,” he added. 

Aside from the Siargao Island Sports and Tourism Complex, President Duterte also unveiled other projects under the Build, Build, Build program by the Department of Public Works and Highways, including the opening of Catangnan-Cabitoonan Bridge Three-Point Bridge System which has an overall budget of PhP434 million. 

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“The construction of additional roads and bridges is vital to our country’s economic development by enhancing the mobility and accessibility of people, goods and services,” Duterte expressed. 

The event was attended by First District Representative Francisco Jose Matugas II, Governor Francisco Matugas, Dapa Mayor Elizabeth Matugas, Surigao City Mayor Ernesto Matugas Jr., Burgos Mayor Emmanuel Arcena, Claver Mayor Georgia Gokiangkee, and Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar. 

Also present were DPWH Undersecretary Eugenio Pipo Jr. representing Secretary Roger Mercado, Assistant Secretary Ador Canlas of the Regional Operations in Mindanao, Regional Director Pol Delos Santos, and Assistant Director Nomer Canlas of Regional Office 13, and Surigao del Norte 1st District engineer Alex Ramos.

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New Bicol International Airport part of Duterte Legacy

As Bong Go highlights PH’s Golden Age of Infrastructure

President Rodrigo Duterte, together with Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, and other officials, attended the inauguration of the Bicol International Airport (BIA) in Daraga town, Albay province on Thursday, October 8. The BIA, considered the first international airport in Luzon south of the National Capital Region, is expected to boost tourism and economic development in the Bicol Region.

“Kahit sa gitna ng pandemya, nananatiling nagsusumikap ang ating pamahalaan para ipagpatuloy ang mga mahahalagang proyekto sa ating komunidad,” said Go.

“Ito ay patunay ng malasakit at dedikasyon ng Duterte Administration sa paglilingkod sa buong taumbayan. Sisiguraduhin nating walang maiiwan sa ating pagbangon mula sa krisis,” he added.

The airport includes a 2,500-meter runway with take-off capabilities and night landing, as well as cargo and passenger terminal and an air traffic control tower, fire station, parking lot, and amenities.

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According to the Department of Transportation, the BIA, dubbed as the “most scenic gateway”, generated 755 jobs during its construction and is set to create 1,100 more indirect jobs once operations commence.

In the country’s so-called Golden Age of Infrastructure, Go told Filipinos that no region will be left behind, saying “Hindi po natin nakakalimutan isama ang Bicol Region sa Golden Age of Infrastructure ng ating bansa.”

“Tiyak po ako na ang bagong pasilidad na ito ay makakatulong sa paglago sa Bicol, lalo na sa sektor ng turismo habang dahan-dahan nating binubuksan ang ating ekonomiya,” he added.

Meanwhile, Go also reassured the public that he will continue to pursue the completion and expansion of infrastructure development initiatives to achieve a more equitable economic development across the country.

Go has been vocal in his support for the country’s infrastructure development. He said that the construction of new airports will bring in jobs and economic opportunities outside Metro Manila and will provide livelihood to Filipinos, especially those who were left jobless due to the pandemic.

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As Vice Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, Go has strongly supported the funding of numerous infrastructure initiatives nationwide.

“Walang humpay ang ating paglilingkod. Pinag-aaralan natin ang lahat ng posibleng paraan na maaaring makapagpabilis sa daloy ng serbisyo at makatulong sa ating mga kababayan. Para naman sa amin ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte, basta kapakanan ng mga Pilipino, ipaglalaban namin ‘yan hanggang sa huli,” Go said.

Earlier, Go attended the opening of the first 18-kilometer section of the Central Luzon Link Expressway project with Duterte on July 15 in Tarlac City. The newly opened highway is intended to reduce the usual journey time between Cabanatuan City and Tarlac City from 70 minutes to just 20 minutes once it is fully operational. It will also be toll-free.

Go also attended the inauguration of the Cavite – Laguna Expressway Silang East Interchange section on August 24 and the Bonifacio Global City-Ortigas Center Link Road Project in Taguig City on September 30.

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As a vice presidential candidate in the upcoming elections, he vowed to ensure that the positive change initiated by President Duterte will be continued in order to provide a more comfortable life for all Filipinos.

“Ipagpapatuloy ko ang mga magagandang programa tulad ng libreng edukasyon, libreng pagpapagamot tulad ng serbisyo mula sa Malasakit Centers, Build Build Build Projects, at marami pang iba tungo sa ating hangarin na mabigyan ng mas maginhawa at komportableng buhay ang mga Pilipino,” Go said earlier.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ISRAEL: MISS UNIVERSE COMPETITION® WILL TAKE PLACE IN ISRAEL THIS DECEMBER

Israel Minister of Tourism Yoel Razvozov

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“I fully hope that in December we will be celebrating not only the new Miss Universe here in Israel, but most importantly, the end of the world pandemic.”

The global MISS UNIVERSE® beauty pageant will be held for the first time in its history in Israel. The city of Eilat was chosen to be the host city of the competition, which will mark its 70th anniversary this year. 

Israeli producer Tali Eshkoli and Los Angeles-based producer Assaf Blecher are responsible for bringing the Miss Universe pageant to Israel, which will be run by the Miss Universe organization in cooperation with the Israeli Ministry of Tourism and the Eilat Municipality. From the end of November, competition contestants will arrive in Israel for three weeks of TV events, broadcast live around the world. These include the semi-final and final events, the national costume show, and other gala events such as the red-carpet event, events in the community, charity events and more. The 70^th Miss Universe Competition will once again be hosted by legendary entertainer Steve Harvey. 

Delegations from about 100 countries are expected to attend the pageant in Israel, including more than 1,200 members of official delegations, hundreds of journalists and TV crews, thousands of pageant enthusiasts and tourists, more than 100 American celebrities, including top-tier artists and world-famous judges. Every year, the event is widely covered in the media and it will add Israel to the map of countries that have previously hosted the prestigious pageant. 

The choice of Israel as the host country once again underscores Israel’s attractiveness, its rich history and the wide variety of spectacular tourist and resort sites that Israel has to offer pageant viewers around the world. An international event of this scale will positively impact awareness and image of Eilat and Israel as a leading tourism destination and a world-renowned international brand.  

The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) is a global community that empowers women to realize their goals through experiences that build self-confidence and create opportunities for success. The organization’s programs provide the women who participate an international platform to affect positive change through influential humanitarian and professional efforts. The contestants and titleholders are leaders and role models in their communities, develop personal and professional goals, and inspire others to do the same.

Israel Minister of Tourism Yoel Razvozov:

“We in Israel are delighted to host the 70th anniversary celebrations of the iconic Miss Universe pageant. Israel is a beautiful land of creativity and innovation and we have successfully faced the COVID-19 crisis head on. Therefore, today we are among the first countries to host an international event – the unifying Miss Universe.

 

Tourism Ministry Director-General Amir Halevi:

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“We are proud to host the 70^th anniversary celebrations of the Miss Universe pageant in Eilat – a year-round sea and sun resort. We see this event as an opportunity to leverage Eilat and the Negev as an attractive tourism destination.

 

Tourism Director for India and the Philippines Sammy Yahia:

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“What a great opportunity to host Ms. Universe this December in Israel. I know that some Filipinos were crowned with this prestigious competition. I wish all participants good health and good luck and I look forward in seeing you all soon”.

Tali Eshkoli, Miss Universe producer in Israel: “The State of Israel once again proves that it stands alongside leading countries in the world that are capable of hosting international events of such significant size. Without a doubt, we have a great and extraordinary opportunity to expose Israel to hundreds of millions of viewers around the world, and I thank the Ministry of Tourism and the Eilat Municipality for their fruitful cooperation.”

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Paula M. Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization: “Israel has been on our shortlist of host countries for a number of years due to its rich history, beautiful landscapes, myriad of cultures and appeal as a global tourist destination,” said “As we sought an impressive location for our 70^th anniversary celebration, it became clear through our conversations with acting mayor Lankri and the Israeli Ministry that Israel has the best resources to host MISS UNIVERSE in December.” 

 

The Philippines was already crowned four Filipina Miss Universe, Gloria Diaz in 1969, Margie Moran in !973, Pia Wurtzbach in 2015 and Catriona Gray in 2018. 

Mayor Sara Duterte’s State of the City Address

Maayong adlaw sa inyong tanan!

When I started my fresh term as Mayor in July 2019, I mentally prepared myself for the emergencies and disasters. No term of mine was ever uneventful and I did not expect the current one to be smooth sailing but my wildest dreams never considered a pandemic.

As Chief Executive, I have weathered numerous storms but what completely floored me was that I did not see an end to this one.

Ten months since the declaration of the coronavirus pandemic, Davao City remains trapped in a very peculiar reality just like the rest of the world. And we should all manage our expectations because this pandemic will define how we will live our lives for another two years. Maybe more.

Ten (10) months into the COVID-19 pandemic and we have seen an alarming spike in the number of confirmed Covid-19 positive cases. As we wait for a vaccine to control the spread, we need to be thinking about ways to reduce risk of transmission. The basics there is- stay at home, wear a mask, frequently wash your hands, and observe social/physical distancing.

This is not only a public health emergency, but also an economic and social crisis. And we are endlessly, trying out the best strategic, seamless connection between the stages under our Plan of Action against Covid19 — Prevention, Testing, Contact Tracing, and Isolation, Quarantine, and Treatment.

The following are the highlights of the city’s COVID-19 response –

Testing: The City’s testing capacity is currently at approximately 1,200 tests per day.

We have supported the establishment of two private laboratories and we are rushing the completion of our own Los Amigos Davao Laboratory funded from the Bayanihan Heal as One Act.

Trace: Contact Tracing has been particularly challenging. Just very recently, the Department of the Interior and Local Government augmented 1,500 personnel to assist in the city’s contact-tracing efforts.

We also envision to use technology to support the team. We endeavor to catch many of the contacts of a confirmed positive case with the use of the Safe Davao QR.

Isolate: As of date, we have 15 Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facilities with a capacity of 1,171 bed spaces for various types of individuals from confirmed positive, suspects, contacts and post-swab individuals.

We also have 601 bed spaces across four (4) facilities supporting our “Test and Wait” initiative for arriving passengers at the Davao International Airport.

Treat: Initially, we had the Southern Philippines Medical Center as the sole hospital for COVID-19 patients. But with the surge of cases, three (3) private hospitals have opened COVID-19 wards.

Cremation: Another project funded by the Bayanihan Law is the Wireless Public Cemetery Crematorium, which shall accommodate all COVID-related deaths. It is now on its final stages of testing and training for personnel operations.

On top of these responses, social welfare programs were also initiated by the city government in support to our daily wage earners and people working in the informal sector who faced loss of jobs, income, and food security.

Food Relief Response remains to be our top priority since March. We have distributed 1,305,454 grocery packs to 448,312 households in all 182 barangays of the city during the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) period. A total of 70, 994 food packs were also given to workers of establishments and sectors who remain to be affected by the Modified General Community Quarantine.

We encourage everyone who needs help and ayuda sa pagkaon to please reach out to our City Social Welfare and Development Office social workers for immediate assistance.

The WORK FOR DAVAO Cash for Work initiative has provided cash assistance to at least 20,180 Dabawenyos who lost their jobs amidst this pandemic.

Along with this, the TUPAD of the Department of Labor and Employment has also helped jeepney drivers whose incomes have been greatly reduced because of the distancing requirements in public transportation. And just very recently, we used the same assistance to help out the displaced workers of the businesses affected by the liquor ban.

Meanwhile, ESKWELA DAVAO is an educational assistance grant for children of families who lost their source of income or have reduced income due to the pandemic. The program will benefit 22,000 students — of which 4,500 are Junior High School; 4,500 are Senior High School; 10,000 are elementary; and, 3,000 are kindergarten. The beneficiaries are set to receive cash assistance ranging from P1,000 to P3,000 each.

Two private donors also generously supported the families with three (3) or more learners with 300 laptops under the STUDENT SIBLINGS LAPTOP SHARING PROJECT and 100 tablets for the STUDENT SIBLINGS TABLET SHARING PROJECT to help them with their online school work.

We were able to support the Blended Learning implementation of the Department of Education by directing approximately 100 million pesos of the Special Education Fund to support the Modular mode of instruction, which is the highest preference among Davao City learners.

Even amidst the pandemic, the Byaheng DO30 program continues on. Here are the highlights of what we hope to finish during the end of my term in June 2022:

We continuously support the big-ticket projects of the National Government that are aligned with the Infrastructure Modernization Project for Davao.

In particular, we were able to gain the full support of the Department of Transportation on the High Priority Bus System project and we are trying to cement the support of various national offices led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for the Waste to Energy Project.

Since the WTE is but a paper that we push around for much needed support, we have allotted funding under the Annual Budget 2021 to expand our existing sanitary landfill for our solid waste management.

Currently, the Interim Bus System is suffering setbacks because of the fear of investors in not being able to deliver the contract on time due to the Covid-19 global economic loss. The Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board has been on top of this matter since we started with the first failed bidding.

In the meantime, the City Government is working together with local consultants in figuring out how we can lay out the bus and bike lanes on our roads. And we have already sent out our letters for the possible collaboration with private landowners for bus terminals and depots in Toril, Lasang-Bunawan and Calinan.

And we are also looking at the option of funding the land and right of way acquisition for transportation infrastructure for provincial buses, the interim bus system, and the HPBS. We likewise need to fund the study and installation of additional traffic lights in new intersections and integrate them to our existing system.

We are also continuously monitoring the Davao City Bypass Project, the Davao-Samal Bridge, and the Davao City Coastal Road Project.

The Davao River and Coastal Road Monitoring Team, which was recently created to monitor activities along coastal road, has helped with the voluntary removal by owners of numerous makeshift houses along and atop river dikes, which are considered as danger zones.

Our Magsaysay Park and Sta. Ana Port development efforts are also on hold while awaiting the completion of the coastal road to ensure that any investment in these properties are not rendered useless by a possible redesign due to the coastal road.

For parks and open spaces development, we have completed two new parks – the Candelaria Park and the McArthur Highway Park, and we are in the bidding for a park along the Dona Vicenta subdivision area. We are also to start the Phase 1 of the development of the Roxas Avenue Park funded by DBM.

When this pandemic is over, I invite everyone to ride through the scenic areas of Paquibato and Calinan especially the parts which were made through the Roads and Bridges to Peace project implemented by the DPWH that is intended to open more economic activities and address the peace and order issues in these areas.

During your evening ride, I also invite everyone to look up to our sodium to LED bulbs transition for streetlights which have greatly improved visibility and security on the roads.

Meanwhile, our security status has remained to be on high alert since 2016 and this year, a 53 percent decrease in index crimes was recorded as it dropped from 658 to 306 in the previous year.

The non-index crimes, on the other hand, increased to 74 percent, from 2887 to 4189 crimes, due to the increased apprehensions on the violation of Covid-19 health protocols.

Drugs and terrorism remain to be on top of our focus areas on criminality and we are underscoring the adoption of the Culture of Security. Simply put, all Dabawenyos should become be a partner in ensuring that our city remains peaceful.

One component that we are trying to cascade down to the household level is the “Kapag May Nakita, Dapat Magsalita” component of the culture. We need our residents to report all suspicious persons and activities for security action. The initial conduct of the community exercise in the last month proved effective on Dabawenyos’ capacity to report possible threats.

Peace 911 continues to work in establishing lasting peace commitments from the residents in the area of Paquibato. Along with this, we are working on the establishment of the University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP) Extension Campus and a Police Station in Barangay Malabog, and a District Hall and City Mayor’s Extension Office in Barangay Paquibato Proper.

Housing options need to escalate aggressively to address the need of our people for a suitable, safe, and affordable homes.

The donated houses built on the Los Amigos Relocation Site are almost fully occupied and the private companies complying with their housing regulation mandate have recently finished the site development of the Lasang Relocation Area. We hope to see the National Housing Authority to build these homes soon.

The City Economic Enterprise Office has funds for the purchase of property for the establishment of cemeteries in both the North and South side of the City.

The development of the Tagakpan Cemetery and the repair of Toril, Mintal, and Bankerohan Public Markets, and the completion of Agdao Public Market are all underway.

There is a long-term plan to improve on the local government center in San Pedro St. and the priority is to expand the open spaces in Rizal Park and create an underground parking.

To this end, we have moved the CSWDO office to its own 4-storey building and the City Engineer’s Office building is currently under construction; adjacent to it is also the construction of the City Health Office building.

Within the People’s Park compound, the newly built Tourism and DCIPC building is ready for occupancy, the Museo Dabawenyo is undergoing construction and the MICE building will soon follow. Our brand new Library and Information Center in the nearby C Bangoy Street will inaugurate next year.

Other infrastructure projects that will start soon are the Halfway House for the Mentally Unwell Vagrants and the Davao City Special Needs Intervention Center.

Our disaster office is busy completing the evacuation center in Brgy. Mahayag and finalizing requirements for other possible sites.

We are also finalizing the documents for the Davao AKO card, which shall be used as a disaster and social services card for Davao City residents.

The Davao City Disaster Radio has been granted a legislative franchise and is currently constructing its permanent home.

We are awaiting the final documents for the approval of the Annual Budget of 2021 in the amount of 9,871,199.436 pesos, which has a significant decrease of 466,533, 226 pesos from this year’s budget of 10, 337, 732, 662 pesos.

The difference is attributed to the decrease of income from local sources because of the severe economic impact of COVID-19. The net effect is the reduction on the number of projects under the development fund. On the bright side, we are still on track for our goal of Debt Free Davao 2022.

There are three projects which are equally important but has been pushed back beyond my term for various reasons, the least priority of which is the expansion of the City Hall Building, which is moved to no definite date.

The City College of Davao which was targeted to open August this year is moved to June 2023 — and hopefully, by that time, the situation will already allow face to face classes. In the meantime, we are on the process of doing another feasibility study for this project.

The third is the Davao City Hospital in partnership with the University of the Philippines Mindanao, which will probably materialize in 2024. Right now, the documentary requirements for this hospital is being accomplished.

My heartfelt gratitude to all honest and hardworking City Government officials, heads of offices and employees, National Government Agencies and Instrumentalities, officials and employees, and countless private donors who lift me up as your local chief executive.

With them, I also thank all the Dabawenyos who help us become better servants with their support and constructive feedback.

COVID-19 will be with us for the foreseeable future. We should expect that it would be a difficult stretch.

I will forever be between a rock and a hard place amidst this pandemic. The rock that exemplifies all the people trying to save the lives of our fellowmen from dying of Covid-19 complications and the hard place that is representative of the people trying to save their families from going flat broke.

And we, Dabawenyos, WE WILL NOT BREAK.

The deaths, the pain, the debts, and the frustration are sent our way to change us into Dabawenyos, who look at dark clouds and see it as the silver lining.

Daghang Salamat.